“How’s Jake doing?” One mention of Lucy’s boyfriend will deter any more comments on my love life with Braxton.
Not that I have a love life with Braxton.
“He’s taking me out to dinner tonight atLa Bella.” Lucy grabs the phone from her sister. “I think he might propose.”Le sigh.Here we go. Lucy is always on the hunt for her husband. She complains that writing romance isn’t satisfying her itch, so she’s been falling in love with every guy that shows her interest lately. She gets too emotionally involved and scares them away, but I don’t know how to tell her to stop. I don’t want to curb her appetite for love…even if I don’t quite understand her intense desires.
“It’s only been three months.” Lorelei gapes at her twin.
“I’m with her.” I smirk, nodding towards Lorelei. I had finally made it to six months and was just beginning to entertain the idea of him being the one. At least this time it wasn’t a breakup of my own accord. His cheating did that. No one can say I’m like my mama when breaking up wasn’t something I chose, right?
“But I know he’s the one. He must feel it too.” Her eyes become dream clouds. Lucy’s always been the hopeless romantic, a swoony-whimsical queen. Lorelei is the strategic, head-on-straight, mama hen. Me? I just try to keep my head above water most days. Especially the past couple of days.
Lorelei and I spend the next twenty minutes trying to talk Lucy off her romance high so she won’t haveherhopes up for dinner with Jake. My doorbell rings, and I tell the girls I’ve got to go.
After we click off, Lorelei sends me a private message.
Lor-a-Lie:You deserve goodness, Hads.
I pause for a moment, fighting back the tears threatening to smudge my expertly crafted makeup. The doorbell rings again.
“Coming,” I shout while typing a response back to Lorelei.
Me:I luv you.
Lor-a-Lie:I luv you, too.
I open the door and meet the bright eyes of my best friend. The one who instantly makes me feel like all is right in the world. He walks in and makes himself at home.
Another text comes through, this one from Lucy.
Luce Goose:Keep your location on. *winky face* *kissy face* *hug*
Me:You think Brax will murder me? *eye roll*
Luce Goose:Course not. Just do it. For me. *praying hands* *kissy face*
Me:*thumbs up* *eye roll*
My phone vibrates with an incoming call from DO NOT ANSWER—the new name the local jail sports on my phone as a reminder.
I don’t.
Chapter Three
Braxton
“ItsmellslikeItalyin here.” I sniff the air, always impressed with Hadley’s cooking. “With a side of good ole chocolate chip cookies. And Dolly Parton.”
“Have you ever been to Italy?” Her voice is sardonic as she tucks her phone into her back pocket. She knows I haven’t. We’ve been glued at the hip since she was seven and I was nine, besides those few years of college.
Releasing a tired groan, I pull the lever on the side of the couch and let the footrest pop out. Dolly sings about Jolene, and I half expect to hear Hadley screaming-singing the lyrics. Instead, she rushes to the turntable and cuts it off.
“I thought you loved that song,” I comment. She looks at me with a pained expression before whipping around and heading toward the kitchen.
I fight my way out of the old sinking couch cushion and follow her. She looks like she might cry at any given moment.
“Hads, what's wrong?” I ask, rounding the corner. Her hands are splayed on the kitchen counter, her face covered by long, shiny platinum hair. She sniffles, and I walk to her side. Placing a hand on her back, I ask again. “What’s wrong, Hadley?”
“He, Dan—” she stutters on the name before sniffling again, “cheated on me.”
